Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Most Reverend Henry Ndukuba, has accused both religious and traditional rulers of colluding with politicians to perpetuate the nation’s worsening insecurity and food crisis.
Speaking during a Confirmation Service at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Abuja on Sunday, the cleric lamented that Nigeria’s problems have become “hydra-headed,” warning that no individual or government can resolve them without divine intervention.
“The issues and problems of Nigeria are hydra-headed. I do not think any man or group has the solution to most of these problems. It is only God that can help us, only if we are sincere with ourselves,” he declared.
Ndukuba alleged that politicians have compromised religious and community leaders, turning them into tools for propaganda and suppression.
“If you want to touch people in the church or the mosque, you go through their religious leaders. They have bought us over, and we sing their praise. You are targeted if you are not saying what they like,” he said.
He further accused traditional rulers of aligning with enemies of the state to unleash chaos on their communities.
“We have had cases where traditional rulers aligned themselves with the enemies of the state and caused mayhem to their own people,” he said.
Drawing a connection between insecurity and the growing threat to food security, the Primate warned that the country’s survival was being undermined at its most vulnerable point — agriculture.
He said: “The enemy is attacking us in the most terrible place – our food supply. Once a country is crippled in food security, anybody that gives you food controls your mind.
“These people are not Nigerians. They have no stake here. They go for whatever they will get, and our own people connive with them.”
On the crisis in Benue State, Ndukuba dismissed calls for a state of emergency as a superficial response to deeper, internal complicity.
“Check what is happening in Benue State. The Benue people have a hand in it.
“Declaring a state of emergency doesn’t solve the problem. If the president is pushed to do that, then we should also declare it in Zamfara, Sokoto, and elsewhere,” he stated.
He emphasized the need for better protection for farmers and renewed commitment to food production, noting its importance to national survival.
Earlier in his Pentecost sermon, the Anglican leader struck a more hopeful tone, expressing belief in divine restoration.
“I believe God is making a fresh move among us. If we obey God and do His work faithfully, we will do the right thing, offices will function, and markets will thrive.
“May the Lord remember His people, visit us again in Abuja, and help us recover the vision for our calling,” he prayed.
The article was originally published on Politics Nigeria.
